Topic: Soil when tomatoes have finished?

[Zed42]

Hi everyone,

I have been lurking on this forum for a couple of months, reading your posts with great interest.
This is my first posting.

I have grown cherry tomatoes for the 1st time this year, although a few of them have ripened, not an awful lot have!

This morning, I have picked all the tomatoes and laid them out on a big tray and covered them over with a couple of tea towels to keep them dark-ish.

I grew my tomatoes in 3 large containers ... my question is .... what should I do with that soil now?
I am a little paranoid about the idea of blight.

Is it ok to put on the compost heap, or what should I do!

All suggestions most welcome.

Thank you in advance

Z

[Icyberjunkie]

Mine has either been put on the compost heap, spread over the garden or used to grow something else in the same pot!

[Vez1]

I put all mine on the compost heap. others at my site have put theirs straight onto the ground, I have a huge compost heap to scatter that the last person left behind so I didn't need to do that. My compost heap for next year now looks good.

[tim]

Few ripened? Pity you don't say where you are, Z. Or whether you have shelter or when you started them.  I wonder if Icy & Vez's ripened?

It might be worth looking at Vida Verde, Simpsons Seeds or http://www.seedfest.co.uk/seeds/tomatoes/cold/cold.html for ideas?

I grow aubergines outdoors at 650' so..........?

[Icyberjunkie]

Few ripened? Pity you don't say where you are, Z. Or whether you have shelter or when you started them. I wonder if Icy & Vez's ripened?

Mine ripened fine and the ones at home in a pot are in shade for half the day only getting sun up until about midday, 2pm (W.Sussex at about 60' !!).   Even the self-sown unknown ripened.  Did you sow them late Zed meaning the fruit hasn't had enough time to ripen?

[Vez1]

Mine ripened well, I had 20 plants all in the greenhouse, some are still turning.

[Zed42]

Thanks for your advice folks, I shall put it on the compost heap then.

I am in Shropshire, and yes, I fear I planted them too late.

Ah well, I shall know for next year!

Z

[Amazin]

Zed - write that down somewhere for next year!

[aquilegia]

I use it depending where it's needed. Either goes straight onto compost heap or I bag it up for next year (just don't use it on toms or potatoes), or use it to improve other veg beds (usually ones where toms or spuds have been this year, so as not to spread blight) or as a mulch for flower beds.

[Garden Manager]

it is best to reuse it in some way, just not near tomatoes or potatoes (nasties that afflict one usualy afflict the other as well).

As i use a mixture of multipurpose and (the more expensive) John innes no 3 for my tomatoes I usualy use it 'neat' (as it is) for other things in pots over the winter. Once it has ben used again will it be spread onto the soil to improve it

I normaly plant up the tomato pots (once the plant and roots are removed of course) with some spring bulbs to place in the borders. These are then finished before I need the pots for the next lot of tomatoes. Like i say the compost then gets used as a mulch.